Economics and Finance (MSc) University of Tübingen

Courses are entirely held in English. Participants write their Master's theses in English.

The 2008 crisis originating in the financial sector had severe consequences for economies and societies worldwide. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that decision makers in financial institutions, regulatory offices, and central banks have a sound understanding of economic theory, the financial instruments designed for risk management, and the tools of modern econometric analysis. Consequently, the MSc in Economics and Finance combines the strengths of our school in economics, finance and econometrics to endow our graduates with the skills needed to address these issues.

Graduating from our programme, you will be able to analyse financial and economic data in a scientific manner using econometric and statistical software packages (Matlab, GAUSS, SAS, Stata). You will know how prices of risky assets should be determined and understand why financial instruments like options and futures can increase social welfare, even though they may involve potential risks for individual investors and financial stability.

Throughout the programme, you will acquire methodological skills (theoretical, econometric, and programming) and expertise that greatly enhance your career perspectives. An MSc in Economics and Finance is the first step towards an ambitious professional career in private and public (financial) institutions or academia.

15 May for the following winter semester
Please check our website.

Approx. 1,500 EUR per semester for students from non-EU countries

Our MSc in Economics and Finance candidates are required to pass at least one of the two core courses in economics, finance, and econometrics, respectively (27 ECTS credits). To allow for tailored curricula accommodating personal research interests, students may then concentrate on specialised field courses, which can be flexibly bundled into modules adding up to another 27 ECTS credits. Moreover, elective courses allow students to further deepen their specialisation or, alternatively, to broaden their expertise by attending complementary courses, including interdisciplinary elements. The elective studies similarly add up to 27 ECTS credits. Many courses also contain a practical class, in which students learn to use econometric and statistical software packages (Matlab, GAUSS, SAS, Stata) to perform empirical analyses and to implement numerical methods in finance and economics. A command of these tools enables our students to write Master's theses with genuine quantitative research results. The importance of the Master's thesis is reflected in its weight of 30 ECTS credits, corresponding to six months fully devoted to working on the thesis.

Students are able to spend a semester abroad at one of our partner universities across the globe.

Although there is no compulsory internship, a specialised office will assist students in finding an internship if they so wish.

Varied

Approx. 1,500 EUR per semester for students from non-EU countries

Enrolment fees at the University of Tübingen are currently about 200 EUR per semester. This includes use of local public transport free of charge on Mondays to Fridays in the evening, at weekends and on public holidays. In addition, students may purchase a semester ticket for unlimited use of public transport in the city of Tübingen and the surrounding area (currently about 150 EUR).

According to the Tübingen Student Services Organisation (“Studierendenwerk”), estimated basic student expenses are about 950 EUR per month, including rent for student accommodation. Rent for private accommodation will typically be more expensive.

Admission to the MSc in Economics and Finance programme requires a Bachelor's degree certificate in Business Administration, Economics, or related fields with a final grade of at least 2.5 or better according to the German grading system. The degree should preferably amount to 180 ECTS.

Applicants are expected to have sound intermediate level knowledge in all of the following:

• Microeconomics
• Macroeconomics
• Finance
• Quantitative Methods (Mathematics/Statistics/Econometrics)

Admission is subject to a competitive selection procedure that includes individual interviews with faculty members. Short-listed candidates from abroad will be interviewed in a video conference.

For further information about the application process, see our website.

The entire programme is taught in English. Applicants should thus be fluent in English:

• TOEFL iBT: 80 or
• TOEFL PBT: 550 or
• IELTS: 6.0 (Overall band) or
• Cambridge: CAE, CPE or BEC Higher or
• TOEIC: 700 or
• UNIcert III Certificate or
• German "Abitur", including at least six (G8) or seven (G9) years of English or
• Bachelor's degree in English/American Studies or
• University degree obtained in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand

Knowledge of German is not required to complete the programme. However, German classes are available.

15 May for the following winter semester
Please check our website.

No

Accommodation is available through the Student Services organisation (“Studierendenwerk“) or on the private market. Rooms in student accommodation cost approx. 200 to 440 EUR per month. As Tübingen is a very attractive place to live, private accommodation is more expensive and can take some effort to find. To make sure you find a suitable place to live, you should start looking as early as possible.

We recommend you apply for student accommodation through the “Studierendenwerk” at the same time that you apply for admission to the Master's programme (cf. https://www.my-stuwe.de/en/housing/halls-of-residence-tuebingen/ and https://www.my-stuwe.de/en/housing/faqs/) and send in a copy of your notification of admission as soon as you have received it (your application won’t be finally processed before the “Studierendenwerk” has received proof of your admission). For further information, check out the “Studierendenwerk” pages on housing in Tübingen (https://www.my-stuwe.de/en/housing/housing-infos/).

The Centre for Corporate Contact brings together companies, students, and instructors. It initiates contacts between companies or public institutions and students, supports students in career planning and entry, and introduces interesting academic topics to the public. This centre promotes cooperation with those in responsible positions and thus contributes to the successful start of our graduates' careers.

The university offers a number of “onboarding” services for newly arriving international students. This includes:

• a help desk
• a buddy programme
• an advisory programme “How to Study at the University of Tübingen”
• a wide range of social activities offered by student groups

For further information, please refer to: https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/182071 (onboarding for degree-seeking students).

The student initiative “StudiT” (“Studierenden-Initiative Internationales Tübingen”) offers a buddy programme and a wide range of social activities during the “Orientation Week” and throughout the semester (www.studit-tuebingen.de/en/).

University of Tübingen

Innovative, interdisciplinary, international: These three words summarise what makes the University of Tübingen special. Excellent research and teaching are Tübingen’s answer to the challenges of the future in a globalised world. We maintain exchanges with partners around the globe. Networks and cooperation across faculty and subject boundaries are the pillars of our successful strategy. This is reflected in our good position in international rankings. In addition, we are one of the eleven German universities distinguished with the title of “excellent.”

The University of Tübingen has been a place of top-level research and excellent teaching for more than 500 years. Some 28,500 students from Germany and around the world are enrolled here in our more than 200 study programmes, including numerous international programmes taught entirely in English.

The University of Tübingen is a member of the European University Alliance “CIVIS – A European Civic University” (https://civis.eu/en), offering a wide range of special exchange opportunities for students).

Tübingen...

• is in south-western Germany, about 40 kilometres south of Stuttgart.
• has some 93,000 inhabitants. The town’s many students and its numerous young families make Tübingen Germany’s youngest city by average age.
• is one of the most coveted places to study in Germany – both because of the excellent conditions for students and researchers, and the unique charm of the town.
• boasts a renowned historic centre with many cafés, restaurants, and shops, and outstanding cultural activities.
• is a very safe place to be, with excellent public transport.
• is well known for its eco-friendly attitudes.
• is surrounded by beautiful countryside. The Black Forest and the Swabian Jura hills are not far away and provide excellent opportunities for climbing, canoeing, hiking, biking – and skiing in winter.